This invention relates to a step device to be attached to the tailgate of a truck. Today's trucks are taller, particularly with the popularity of four wheel drive trucks. Consumers seem to prefer the taller suspensions as is evident by the recent new trucks coming onto the market. Access to loading and unloading materials into the truck bed is difficult, requiring considerable agility and physical strength. Several attempts to provide convenient and safe access to the bed of a pick-up truck appear in prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,996 to Graffy et al. (1998), U.S. Pat. No. 4,639,032 to Barbour (1987), and U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,388 to Barksdale (1980) show various U shaped step assemblies which attach to the edge of a tailgate and have a stored position against the inside panel of the tailgate and swing out into an in use position. These steps are very narrow and only provide one step up into the pick-up truck bed. These steps provide only limited assistance in accessing the bed of the pick up truck because they do not provide for any grab handles and they only have one step. Considerable physical effort is still required to gain safe and convenient access to the truck bed without grab handles and with only one narrow step.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,617,930 to Elia (1997), U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,603 to Burdette, Jr. (1993), and U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,876 to Peacock (1988) show various ladder apparatus which attach to a tailgate. All of these ladder apparatus provide multiple steps to access the bed of a truck and some contain grab handles however, all of these apparatus require engagement with the ground when in the deployed or in-use position. This is undesirable due to uneven ground conditions, which may be present where the step is desired to be deployed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,150 to Quam (1994) shows a tailgate with an integral step surface containing multiple steps formed into the inside panel of the tailgate. This tailgate step requires the complete replacement of an existing tailgate. This is undesirable because the outside appearance of the pick-up truck will be changed and the entirely new tailgate will be costly. No grab handles are present in this apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,312 to Garvert (1996), U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,063 to Andrews (1991), and U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,487 to Criley (1989) show a single, large, step, which unfolds, from a frame to provide access to the pick-up truck bed. These steps provide limited assistance in accessing the pick-up truck bed because they provide only one step up to the tailgate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,821 to Llewellyn (1989) shows a tailgate mounted assembly consisting of two steps which are completely supported by the tailgate. This apparatus attaches to the outside panel of the tailgate which is undesirable because the outside appearance of the truck is altered. This step assembly does not have grab handles.